Travel

Hipcooks East Los Angeles

Monika Reti, owner and founder of Hipcooks, has a gift for bringing people together. Her classes–some taught by her, others by her brilliant culinary staff–are equal parts art lesson, community gathering, and culinary experience (one goop staffer describes it as the best dinner party–only better). “When you cook for someone, it’s an artistic expression,” Reit says. “It’s a feast for all the senses.” At every session, guests take part in the entire process of the meal, from the prep, to the cooking, to the gathering at the table to dine (with wine, of course). The all-inclusive experience was Reit’s vision when she founded Hipcooks back in 2004 after leaving her job as an economist. Fast forward more than a decade, and there are seven Hipcooks outposts, including three in the LA area (the DTLA location is the original location), all of which offer a range of globally inspired cooking lessons, from Thai, to Argentinian, to Persian, that ultimately support the idea that there’s an inner chef in all of us.